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The United Kingdom's economy is very integrated with that of the European Union, particularly in agriculture, and disentangling the UK economy may lead to significant changes in legal regimes and trade patterns.

ERS plays a leading role in Federal research on food security and food security measurement in U.S. households and communities and provides data access and technical support to social science scholars to facilitate their research.

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The 2014-15 U.S. outbreak of Highly-Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) resulted in the loss of more than 50 million birds. The market impacts reflect not only lower production, but also the loss of overseas markets for broiler meat.

The rural population is shrinking due to outmigration of young adults, fewer births, increased mortality among working-age adults, and an aging population. Rural job growth since 2011 has been well below the urban growth rate.

ERS analyzed the impact of a USDA regulatory initiative that identified commercial chicken slaughter establishments with poor or mediocre ratings on Salmonella tests – specifically, how this has affected the outcome of subsequent tests.

U.S. manufacturing employment has been declining since the 1950s. A better understanding of the factors affecting the survival of rural manufacturing plants may help develop strategies to retain these jobs.

Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has undergone economic, social, and demographic transformations over the past 10 to 15 years. Among the poorest regions in the world, it faces major political and economic challenges and low food security.

Overview

Trade policies such as protectionist measures and government support of agricultural sectors affect the level of global trade. Bilateral, multilateral, and regional trade agreements to eliminate trade barriers among member countries have taken on greater significance amidst an evolving international trading environment. The United States is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and has membership in trade agreements with a number of countries.

ERS Research on Trade Policy and WTO-related Issues

ERS analyzes data and information on trade policy and WTO topics and conducts economic research on regulations policies of major trading partners to provide U.S. negotiators and other stakeholders with an economic perspective on the complex issues confronting the WTO.

Key topics that have been covered by ERS reports are summarized below.

Japan is one of the largest beef importers in the world and an important destination market for the United States. A recent ERS report examines how Japanese importers view U.S. beef vis-à-vis imports from Australia and other countries and how market access reform might affect Japanese beef imports from the United States (see
Tariff Reforms and the Competitiveness of U.S. Beef in Japan
, January 2016).

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade and investment agreement among 12 countries—including the United States—in the Pacific Rim. This report assesses this partnership's potential impacts on the region's agriculture in 2025 (see
Agriculture in the Trans-Pacific Partnership
, October 2014).